"I began to have a funny feeling and a touch of nervousness. However, the fear of failure energized my resolve, focus, and determination."

In this memoir, the author tells his story of coming to the United States from Nigeria to study electrical engineering and computer science. By chance, on his flight to America, he meets Dr. Ekpo Ekong, who lives in the area and kindly offers to put up the naive, young Ndukwe while he gets his feet on the ground. Through diligent study and hard work, the author endears himself to the various employers he encounters through work-study programs—though he changes his first name to Chuks in order for people to get his name correct in his new country. He works on several key technological projects with various large companies until the market collapse at the turn of the millennium. Things go from bad to worse when someone who he thought was a trusted relative scams him out of his remaining savings, forcing him to start again from scratch.

What works so well in this autobiographical reflection are the core aspects of the author’s character that shine through in his story. Repeatedly, he meets difficulty with determination through both good times and bad. His optimism and ability to find a way forward even in the face of losing everything he worked for makes readers hopeful and draws them in chapter after chapter. Any book whether fictional or true needs interesting events and an accessible character in order to succeed, and this story provides both of those immediately and consistently. Ndukwe’s story of life in America may not be what every immigrant experiences but is for the most part what many aspire to accomplish, and its oscillation between inspiration and tragedy pulls in the reader and keeps one reading on.

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